Shearing the Golden Fleece: Chilling the Discussion of Science in the Public Arena.

Eberhard, Wallace B.

This paper briefly describes the history of the Golden Fleece Award given monthly by Senator William Proxmire for "the biggest waste of taxpayers' money" in the form of grants for research. It particularly focuses on the case brought by Dr. R. R. Hutchinson who was the recipient of the Golden Fleece Award for his research on the aggressive behavior of monkeys and human beings. It explores the history of Dr. Hutchinson's court case and discusses some of the implications of the case. A copy of the news release announcing the conferring of the award is appended. (TJ)